Push-button switch



June 10, 1947. L. BEEMAN 2,421,865

PUSH BUTTON SWITCH Original Filed Feb. 22, 1945 INVENTOR.

, Lgle. Beemcm I ATTORNEY.

Patented June 10, 1947 PUSH-BUTTON swrrcn Lyle Beeman, Ann Arbor, Mich., assignor to The Master Electric Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application February 22, 1943, Serial No. 476,667. Divided and this application March 17, 1945, Serial No. 583,265

3 Claims.

This invention relates to switches primarily for the remote control of electromatic controllers.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 476,667, filed February One object of the present invention is to provide an improved two-button control switch of simple inexpensive construction.

Other more specific objects and advantages will appear, expressed or implied, from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a twobutton control switch constructed in accordance with the present invention, and shown with the cover thereof partially broken away.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the application of my improved switch to an electromagnetic controller.

The control switch selected for illustration is shown enclosed Within an appropriate housing It having a suitable removable cover II perforated to accommodate two switch-actuating push buttons l2 and I3. One of the push buttons I2 is a start button depressible to momentarily close a normally open switch and the other is a stop button depressible to momentarily open a normally closed switch. Both switches and their actuating buttons are supported by a frame of novel construction, preferably such as will now be described.

The switch supporting frame shown comprises a base plate M of insulating material fixed to the bottom of the housing It by'bolts I5 or the like. The opposite ends of the base plate are reduced to form tongues l6 which are closely fitted in and extend through appropriate slots formed in end plates. ll of like material disposed at right angles thereto. The end plates are fixed and braced by appropriate angle brackets l8 fixed thereto and anchored to the base plate by the bolts l5. A top plate i9 is supported by the end plates l1 parallel to and spaced from the base plate I l. The opposite ends of the top plate are reduced to form tongues 20 fitted in and extending through appropriate slots in the end plates ll.

It will be noted that the end plates [1, interlocked with the base and top plates I4 and I9, and braced by the brackets I8 in the manner described, provide a rigid frame well adapted for the purpose intended and composed of simple inexpensive parts which may be readily and quickly assembled and as readily dismantled should occasion require replacement or repair.

The base plate H of the frame provides support for a pair of laterally spaced stationary contacts 21, each being fixed to a conductor plate 22 attached to the top face of the base plate M. The conductor plate is extended laterally beyond the plate 14 and carries a suitable binding post 24. The stationary contacts 2! cooperate with a pair of movable contacts 25 to form a normally open start switch, the contacts 25 being carried by the ends of a metallic bridge piece 26 suitably fixed to the shank 21 of a push button [2. The shank 21 extends through and is guided by the top and base plates l9 and M, the end 28 of the shank being square and fitted in a square opening in the base plate It to prevent it from turning and to thereby hold the contacts 25 aligned with the contacts 21. A spring 2-9 urges the button l2 and shank 21 cutwardly so that the contacts 2| and 25 are normally separated and the switch normally open.

The top plate IQ of the frame provides support for a pair of stationary contacts 30 carried by conductor plates 3| similar to conductor plates 22, similarly attached to the under face of top plate I9, and similarly equipped with binding posts 32. And a metallic bridge piece 33 carried by the shank 34 of the push button l3 and retained thereon by a pin 33, is provided with contacts 35 respectively aligned with contacts 30 and cooperating therewith to form a normally closed stop switch. The shank 34 is similarly guided in and by the plates l9 and I4, and a spring 3-6 urges the shank 34 outwardly so as to normally retain the contacts 30 and 35 engaged and thus normally retain the stop switch in closed condition.

The start button I2 is preferably countersunk in the cover II of the housing where it is well protected against accidental depression so as to avoid damage or ill consequences that might otherwise result from inadvertent starting of the mechanism controlled by the switch.

The stop button I3 is purposely positioned however to normally project beyond the cover so as to be exposed for quick and ready depression whenever quick stopping of the mechanism becomes imperative.

The control switch above described is intended for use with any standard or approved form of electromagnetic controller to provide a remote control therefor. In Fig. 4 two such switches are diagrammatically shown connected to an electromagnetic controller such as disclosed in my above identified copending application and so arranged that each provides a separate remote control therefor. As described in said copending application, the electromagnetic controller diagrammatically shown comprises a plurality of main switches 38, 39, and 40 respectively connected to the lines 4|, 42, and 43 of a multiphase power circuit. These main switches are simultaneously actuated and controlled by a single movable cross-head 44. An electromagnet including an armature 45, energized by a coil 46, functions to actuate the cross-head 44 through a suitable mechanical structure 41.

The coil 46 of the electromagnet is contained in a control circuit that is shunted across the lines 4| and 43. One side 48 of the control circuit includes a normally closed overload switch 49. The other side 50 of the control circuit includes a normally closed overload switch 51 and also a normally open holding switch 52 which is automatically closed whenever the electromagnetic armature 45 is actuated to close the main switches 38, 39, and 48. In this instance a finger 53, mechanically connected with the structure 41, acts to close the holding switch 52 whenever the main switches are closed.

The normally open start switches 12 of both control switches l are connected in parallel in the side 50 of the control circuit, the holding switch 52 is shunted across both start switches, and the normally closed stop switches 13 of both control switches I0 are connected in series with each other and with the holding switch 52.

The arrangement is such that whenever the start switch 2| of either of the control switches I0 is momentarily closed by depression of its button 12, the coil 46 is thereby energized and the armature 45 and cross-head 44 move to close the main switches 38, 39, and 40 and to close the holding switch 52. The closing of the holding switch 52 serves to maintain the coil 46 energized so as to hold the main switches closed until the control circuit is broken, either automatically, by opening one of the overload switches 49 or or manually, by depressing the stop button 13 of one of the control switches I 0. Breaking of the control circuit of course deenergizes the coil 46, whereupon the armature 45 moves to open the main switches and also to open the holding switch.

Various changes may be made in the invention hereinabove specifically described without departing from or sacrificing the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A control switch for electromagnetic controllers comprising a housing, a base plate fixed in said housing, a top plate spaced from and substantially paralleling said base plate, a pair of end plates interlocked with theends of said base and top plates to form an open frame within said housing, means coacting with said end plates for maintaining said interlocked relation, a pair of stationary switch contacts on said base plate, a plunger guided in said base and top plates, a pair of movable switch contacts carried by said plunger for coaction with said first named contacts to provide a normally open switch, a second pair of stationary contacts on said top plate, a second plunger guided in said base and top plates, and a second pair of movable contacts to provide a normally closed switch, said plungers being separately operable to close said normally open switch and to open said normally closed switch.

2. A control switch for electromagnetic controllers comprising a housing, a base plate of insulating material fixed in said housing, a pair of end plates of insulating material disposed at right angles to said base plate and interlocked therewith, a top plate of insulating material spaced from and parallel to said base plate, said top plate being interlocked with said end plates, angle brackets on said base plate coacting with said end plates to maintain said end plates interlocked with said base and top plates, a contact carried by said base plate, a plunger guided in said top and base plates and having a contact thereon for coaction with said first named contact to form a normally open switch, a contact carried by said top plate, a second plunger guided in said top and base plates and having a contact thereon for coaction with said last named contact to form a normally closed switch, and separate push buttons carried by said plungers for operating the same to close said normally open switch and to open said normally closed switch.

A control switch comprising a housing, a base plate therein, means for attaching said base plate to the bottom of said housing, a top plate spaced from said base plate, a pair of end plates each interlocked with adjacent ends of said base and top plates to support the latter, means retained by said attaching means and coactingwith said end plates for maintaining said interlocking relation, a pair of switch actuating plungers guided in said base and top plates, switch contacts on said base and top plates, and switch contacts on said plungers coacting with said first named contacts.

LYLE BEEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

